John Anderson is without question a Romantic painter. Romanticism was characterised by its emphasis on emotion and individualism as well as the glorification of nature. By this definition Anderson’s paintings certainly fit. Expressionist elements in Anderson’s work are a consequence of the fluid nature of his oil painting technique, painting on Belgian linen wet into wet, where brushwork animates the melding of colour and form, leaving its mark in this process. Much of the setting of Anderson’s paintings is the Mornington Peninsula and most specifically Cape Schanck where he now lives and formally worked as a professional cray fisherman for some years in order to support his art practice.

Anderson completed a Diploma in Fine Art (Painting) at RMIT University in 1969. He has exhibited extensively in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide. His work is held by several significant collections including Melbourne Art Bank; Sydney BHP; Australia Bonython Collection; Deakin University, Melbourne; Gardens Melbourne Collection; Monash University, Melbourne; Savoy Plaza Hotel Collection, Australia; Sydney University, Sydney; TarraWarra Museum of Art, Healesville, VIC; The Smorgon Collection, Melbourne; The Yarra Collection, Melbourne; The University of Sydney, Sydney and Western Mining, Perth. Most recently, Anderson was selected as a finalist in the Hadley’s Art Prize 2019.